EXTENDED INFORMATION
A personal testimony
I have always been challenged about the need to be ready to share the Gospel, but I am not an evangelist, although like Paul told Timothy, do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5), so I feel the need to at least be ready:
15But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. ALWAYS BE PREPARED to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15, emphases added.
Almost every outing, I am reminded of my “failure” noted in the Foreword.
Hence, every outing in my present circumstance—walking or riding a bike, in particular, as well as on other occasions of shopping, etc.—commences with a commitment of myself to the Lord, asking Him to guide me and to help me to identify appropriate opportunities for some form of witness, with all I will encounter.
Consequently, I have developed a little “patter” when I get into conversation on my outings, having only a brief moment, and therefore an urgency to know how to share something worthwhile. It is a fleeting moment that will pass into eternity in the blink of an eye. How to seize the opportunity?
As I stop to “raid” a bin to collect cans, bottles, etc. (in my State there is a refund of 10 cents per item, that slowly accumulates. Recently I passed the 160,000 mark = $16,000), there are occasional comments from folks picnicking at adjacent tables, or passing by.
Often some comment might be made about the fact of me collecting cans, and bottles: “Good on you for helping to keep the place tidy”, “saving the planet”, or whatever.
Seeking to be sensitive to each situation, my reply might be, “Actually I am only being very selfish, collecting cans etc. for the refunds. I usually go for a 5-6 kilometre (3-4 miles) walk in the morning, collecting cans, etc, then home for breakfast before going for a 20-30 kilometre (12-20 miles) bike ride—ready to collect more cans etc., then I go home and write books”.
This last comment, about writing books is the “telling point”. For many there is no response, and that is fine. But for others there is an immediate response, “What do you write?” I seek to monitor the enthusiasm or otherwise, and may refer to the most secular book WILL NOBODY LISTEN? which addresses the issue of conflict resolution (from a biblical as well as practical perspective), and that has often led to further conversation. I would give them a copy of my “business” card with the web address, so that they can look further at excerpts from the book—noting that my 100% effective methodology is described in Chapter 1—with a specific example—which is on the website. Sometimes I will offer a free copy of the e-book, or even the paperback, depending on what seems the interest. Or sometimes I make the same offer for any book (e-book or paperback) on: www.integritypublications.biz, my website.
Then there are others who show a particular interest, and I might raise the issue of a “World View”—something common to everybody. This has brought varying responses, with the result being that I have prepared a brief screed on it, which I then email to them (or print a hard copy), and then use it for follow-up. See Chapter 3.
For many, the reference to, “From where have I come?” in the World View scenario, regularly invokes a strong assertion concerning evolution. Hence I was challenged about how to use this frequent opening, not to argue, but to productively challenge the person.
Often, if there is a relaxed occasion, I will ask the person to imagine how it all started (From Where Have I Come?)—that there was nothing in existence at all. Just a vast, dark, endless expanse. This must be the starting point for evolution, or any theory for that matter. Where does it all start? How did this vast expanse come into existence? It could not “just happen”.
This must also be my starting point.
And if I, or they, cannot explain this, there is no point trying to proceed any further in our World View. There must be a foundation before we try to build. It is of no consequence to start with some microbe crawling out of a pond to start the “microbe to man” process of ‘evolution’, if we have not discovered the origin of the pond—and the planet on which it is situated, etc., etc.
We need to establish from where the pond came. And where is it located. We are back to “Where does it all start?”
To this end I have written an article as an “Evolution Corrective”, which we address in Chapter 4. And there are aspects of that scenario that I can extract and use to share with contacts.
There are other “openers” in order to gain a hearing in order to witness, and we shall look at suggestions in Chapter 2.
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